Stuck in a rut? Maybe it’s time to think outside the 60 62 64 box. That’s the theme for EUPHONIC GUYATONE PEDULLA this month’s SubShop AUDIO HEADS & CABS & FRANTONE PEDALS THUNDERBOLTS collection—really cool EA thinks outside the box—by Perhaps you’d like to explore J.D. Considine compares gear that proves there are rethinking the box’s inside. some altered states? Bruce two nearly identical basses Shop always alternatives. Tom Bowlus gives everything Jacobs and Jae Ko examine and explains how small —Technical Editor a thorough testing and shares a trio of creativity-enhancing variations can sometimes Sub his insights. tone twisters. make a big difference. Terry Buddingh DEMOTRACKLIST Hear these tracks at guitarworld. com/gear and at myspace.com/ bassguitarmagazine These samples were recorded into a Digidesign Pro Tools system using the analog output of the Line 6 Bass PODxt Pro. No additional EQ and only minimal compression was used. TRACK 1 Using mostly the bridge pickup through the Line 6’s Ampeg SVT model, I dialed in a nasty pickstyle tone that clearly articulates the low notes. TRACK 2 With both pickups up full, I used the Zon’s midrange control to bring out the clarity in this low and evil fi ngerstyle groove brass bridge as its older brother. The sheen of modern hi-fi tone, but edge reminiscent of something Trujillo taper down to the 1.83" graphite nut is what keeps you from getting bur- may have played in the Ozzy days. I used the SoCal Metal preset on the makes the neck’s overall playability LIST PRICE ied alive when you’re backing up the $1,695 POD, which is a cleaner, modern- very comfy, the 17mm string spacing MANUFACTURER most notorious axmen in metal. metal setting. is great for slappers, and, much to my Zon Guitars, Even though the single-coil TRACK 3 Back to the POD’s more 780 Second Ave, toasty SVT preset: I used the delight, the 34-inch scale feels like Redwood City, CA pickup placement is identical to bridge pickup to get some kind of home. The bass came supplied with 94063; that of a Seventies-era Jazz Bass, monster tone. This bass has terrifi c Zon’s own stainless steel five-string (650) 366-3516; I found the RT5K had a deeper, ...And Thunder for All zonguitars.com fi ngerstyle defi nition through its set, which felt snappy, with a nice chunkier tone. The bass’s slap tone entire range. balanced tension. The strings were seemed balanced more toward the TRACK 4 We know the RT5K can Zon Sonus RT5K 5-string bright, but not so much that you’d front pickup than the bridge; Zon rock, but it also warms up nicely to want to “cure” them in fried chicken grease says the pickup windings—combined with get a clean, fat R&B tone. Through the PODxt’s Eden model, the bass By Ed Friedland needs for his gig.” While Zon is known for their or cut). Citing reliability issues with pop-up before using. the active circuit—give it that “barkier” qual- gets a punchy, defi ned tone that graphite-composite necks, Trujillo wanted a battery compartments, Zon chose to tuck away Every Korean-built Zon goes through the ity. Trujillo chose a maple body, preferring lets the faster notes speak. OBERT TRUJILLO is one bad mofo. wood neck to capture the appropriate vibe for the 9-volt inside the instrument’s tidy, shielded U.S. factory for final setup; my test instrument its more cutting tone for rock and metal. TRACK 5 Trujillo is well known as His résumé: Suicidal Tendencies, vintage Metallica material. The 24-fret, three- control cavity. Zon claims 300–400 hours of came right out of the box in perfect order, And cut it does: The RT5K speaks quickly a slap monster, and his bass just Infectious Grooves, Black Label Soci- piece, bolt-on maple neck and South American continuous battery life, so you shouldn’t have ready to rock. with a tight, focused edge. There’s plenty of begs for a spanking. With a tube R D.I. model, I got a super-aggressive ety, Jerry Cantrell, Ozzy, Metallica—need I say pau ferro fingerboard are rigid and stable, and to change it all that often, but I’d still like to see balls, but the top end is sure to get you heard slap tone that will boldly stand up more? His pounding, aggressive basslines have the instrument’s slim profile gives it a lightning- a passive bypass as a fail-safe feature. And you KILL ’EM ALL through the maelstrom. to thrashy guitars. carved a wide swath of destruction through 15 fast feel. The neck extends deep into the body, never know—there might be some cool passive Plugging the RT5K into my Genz Benz GBE TRACK 6 Just to show off the years of hard rock. Trujillo’s signature ax, the and four countersunk bolts insure rock-solid tones locked away in there, too. 1200/NEOX-212T rig (set flat), I was immedi- THE BOTTOM LINE RT5K’s versatility, I switched to the U.S.-made Zon Sonus RT5 (list price $2,595), dependability. The two-piece maple body has a Weighing in at a reasonable nine pounds, ately impressed with its massive low end—and Although it’s the lowest-priced entry from a neck pickup and pumped out some is a solid and inspiring tool, well suited to the quilted maple veneer that adds a subtle beauty, the bass sat comfortably on my shoulder. The I hadn’t even begun to tweak the onboard pre- company that builds instruments in the $4,000– fatback blues. With the PODxt’s Ampeg B-15 model, this setting demands of high-performance mayhem. The and the polyurethane finish is buffed to a glass- upper horn’s strap attachment point is in line amp. This bass definitely contradicts the myth $7,000 range, the Zon Sonus RTK5 is still a very produces a warm, round, down- RT5K is a Korean-made version that retains the like gloss. with the 13th fret, and thanks to Zon’s com- that you need a longer scale length to produce serious ax. Zon has maintained its high standard home tone. high-end feel and tone of the U.S. model, while pact and lightweight 3+2 headstock design, a strong and articulate B string! With the lows of quality while managing to keep the price well TRACK 7 The upper register of the saving you a cool $900. LOAD AND RELOAD the neck didn’t dive. centered at 30 Hz, you can get evil on the B under $2,000. With its fast-playing neck and RT5K sounds great, too. Through “We set out to make a high-quality instru- The controls are easy to figure out—the The RT5K model uses Korean-made Zon string, and the bass didn’t feel like it needed versatile, synergistic design, the RTK5 can sit the Line 6 Eden model, with emphasis on the bridge pickup, ment that was affordable for younger players master volume knob is first, followed by a pick- pickups built to the specs of the EMGs found help. The mid frequency is set at 400 Hz, which well in a hard-rock mix, function as an evil slap and some mids dialed in from the that wanted to get Robert’s sound,” says builder up-blend pot. A concentric bass/treble control in the U.S. model, and a Zon preamp that emu- works great for adding fingerstyle articulation. machine and slap the devil out of funk, or be onboard preamp, the bass really Joe Zon. “We spent close to a year with Rob- is closest to the bridge, leaving the mid control lates the more expensive Bartolini 3-band EQ. 3 kHz was chosen for the treble center frequen- warmed up for rootsy applications—a wicked pops when playing fast bebop lines. ert on his bass, dialing it in to get the tone he on its own (each knob gives you 15 dB of boost The RT5K has the same precision-machined cy; it’s a bit edgy compared to the super-slick tool, indeed. ■ 58 BASS GUITAR BASS GUITAR 59 52-59 SubShop.indd 58 10/31/06 3:06:08 PM 52-59 SubShop.indd 59 10/31/06 3:07:09 PM.